X-Rays Spex

A Below Average Rays Fan Blog

The New What Next: Rays vs Twins part two — a series preview

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How do you spell sweep? D-E-T-R-O-I-T T-I-G-E-R-S. (Photo Credit: X-Rays Spex)

After rattling off five consecutive wins, including a three-game seep of the Tigers, the Tampa Bay Rays are set to open a four game series against the Minnesota Twins, in Minneapolis. The Twins won the rubber game of their three game series with the Royals on Wednesday. The Rays, who enter the series four-games over .500 for the first time this season, swept the three-game series between the teams at home earlier this season (April 20-22).

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

Tampa Bay looks to build on its 48-44 record heading into the All Star Break. They still trail the Red Sox by 16 games in the AL East entering Thursday night, however, the Rays made up a game in a half in the Wildcard rankings, sitting 9.5 games out of the final spot with 70 left to play.

Minnesota bounced back from a loss in the middle game of the set with Kansas City, improving to 41-49 on the season with their sixth win in seven games. Although the Twins trail Cleveland by 8.5 in the AL Central, and the Rays by six games in the AL Wildcard rankings.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Minnesota has put 75 runs on the board over the last 14 days, as compared to Tampa Bay which has scored 23 fewer. Yet the Rays pitching staff has performed to a combined 2.47 ERA/3.19 FIP (1.66 ERA/2.21 FIP by starters, 3.00 ERA/3.84 FIP by relievers) over the same stretch. Compare that to the Twins, which have performed to a combined 4.95 ERA/4.69 FIP (4.92 ERA/5.33 FIP by starters, 5.00 ERA/3.83 FIP by relievers). Good pitching beats good hitting, advantage Tampa Bay.

If the Rays can win the series, they’ll enter the All-Star Break with a 51-45 record in the very least, six games over .500.

Pitching Probables

Over the next three days Kevin Cash will start Blake Snell (12-4, 2.09 ERA), Nathan Eovaldi (3-3, 3.35 ERA) and Chris Archer (3-4, 4.41 ERA), then rely on the bullpen (23-22, 3.46 ERA) in the series finale. Paul Molitor will counter with Kyle Gibson (3-6, 3.59 ERA), Jake Odorizzi (4-6, 4.28 ERA), Jose Berrios (9-7, 3.41 ERA), and a pitcher to be named before the game on Sunday.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Blake Snell allowed six hits and three walks while striking out nine across 7-1/3 scoreless innings against the Mets on Sunday. Snell threw 112 pitches (70 strikes, 63% strike rate), generated an impressive 16 swinging strikes (23% SwStr rate) and stayed out of trouble by coaxing 10 groundouts including two double plays. While the Mets typically struggle against left-handers, Snell has been dominant in his last three starts, fanning 29 batters across 21-2/3 innings. Those three turns on the mound have added to his impressive 2018 campaign, as Snell ranks among the AL leaders in wins, innings pitched, strikeouts, ERA and WHIP. (Cough, yet he was still snubbed for the All Star Game)

Kyle Gibson fired seven strong innings to earn the win over Baltimore on Saturday, allowing three runs on four hits and four walks while striking out nine. Gibson has been solid for most of the season and he continued that on Saturday, with most of the damage coming on a first-inning home run hit by Chris Davis. Even so, Gibson is 1-1 with a 5.21 ERA over his last three starts (19 innings), with seven walks but 19 strikeouts. The right-hander is 1-5 with a 6.81 ERA in eight career starts against Tampa Bay, including a 6-1/3 inning four run, five hit loss on April 21. Key Matchups: Ji-Man Choi (1-3, HR, RBI), CJ Cron (4-11, HR, 3 RBI, BB), Carlos Gomez (4-15, 2B, RBI), Adeiny Hechavarria (1-1, BB), Kevin Kiermaier (5-8, 3 2B, BB), Wilson Ramos (1-3, 2B, RBI), Joey Wendle (2-3, 3B)

Nathan Eovaldi blanked the Mets across seven innings, allowing just one hit while striking out nine. The right-hander has had his best stuff over his last three starts, allowing just two runs across 19 innings while striking out 23. Even considering the hefty number of punch outs he collected, Eovaldi was extremely efficient Sunday, needing just 79 pitches (59 strikes, 75% strike rate) to breeze through seven innings, but manager Cash decided to pull the starter due to a seven-run lead.

Jake Odorizzi allowed five hits and a walk while striking out five over six innings against the Orioles on Sunday. He now has thrown two scoreless outings in his last three starts. And while both of those starts have come against weak lineups — the White Sox and Orioles — the former Ray is making up for a rough stretch from late May and June, during which he allowed 22 earned runs across 20-1/3 innings. He has gone at least five innings without surrendering more than two earned runs in 10 of his 19 starts this season. Odo has never faced his former team, although a handful of batters have faced him over the last few years. Key Matchups: CJ Cron (2-4, HR, RBI), Matt Duffy (1-2, 2B), Carlos Gomez (2-7, BB)

Chris Archer did not fare well in his return outing after spending on the DL with an abdominal strain, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks over 3-1/3 innings Monday night. He struck out three. Archer threw 15 of 18 first pitch strikes and induced 11 whiffs, although he had a hard time putting batters away efficiently. He struggled in the third inning, when he allowed three runs on three hits and a walk, running up his pitch count before his removal with one out in the fourth. Archer appeared to be turning a corner leading up to his DL stint, firing off five quality starts over a stretch of seven appearances that was bookended by an injury marred, five inning outing against Seattle on the fifth of June. Over his last four previous starts against the Angels, Red Sox, Athletics and the Mariners, Archer allowed a total of three runs, while sporting a 2.18 K/BB.

Jose Berrios held the Royals to just one run on six hits over seven innings on Monday night. He struck out eight. Berrios has now thrown quality starts in six of his last seven outings. The right-hander leaned heavily on his curveball Monday, throwing it 41 times, inducing five swinging strikes and four outs in play with it. Overall, Kansas City’s batters whiffed 16 times (22% SwStr rate) on 111 (74 strikes, 67% strike rate) pitches as Berrios showed why he’s the ace in Minnesota. Aside from his 82 mph curveball, this season Berrios has relied on his 94 mph four-seam fastball and an 84 mph changeup. Key Matchups: CJ Cron (1-3), Kevin Kiermaier (2-6, 2B)

I will update this piece when the pitching probables for the series finale are announced.

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Rays Roster Moves: Willy Adames optioned to Triple-A Durham

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Willy Adames, photographed during Spring Training, was optioned back to Triple-A Durham on Wednesday.

The Tampa Bay Rays optioned 22 year-old INF Willy Adames to Triple-A Durham on Wednesday following their 4-2 win against the Detroit Tigers.

Adames has played intermittently for Tampa Bay this season due to the log jam in the middle infield. The consistency he has shown at the Minor League level has yet to translate to the big leagues, with Adames struggling to a .226 BA/.275 OBP/.357 SLG/.632 OPS line, with three home runs and an alarming 36.3% strikeout rate over 95 plate appearances. He is still regarded as a highly-rated prospect, and he’ll spend some time getting regular at-bats in Durham.

It was a really hard decision,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. We thought about it and, in fairness to Willy, when we called him up, we thought we were going to be able to do a better job of creating a lane. We’ve got a lot of good infielders here right now playing. We needed pitching, which also went into it, obviously, with the two bullpen days back to back.

Ultimately, it was more about Willy, in fairness. We want him to be a shortstop. He’s got to get some reps down there and get some more consistency. But we anticipate he’s going to go do his thing. He was positive with the message, and get him right back up here.

The Rays corresponded by recalling THP Chih-Wei Hu, who will make his second big league stint for Tampa Bay this season. Hu made one appearance, allowing three runs in 2-2/3 innings against the Rangers on April 16, before being demoted. He has performed to a 4.66 ERA in 16 appearances (14 starts) for Triple-A Durham.

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Rays reveal details and renderings of proposed stadium, part two — the unfavorable aspects

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(Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Rays hosted a press conference in which artistic renderings of a proposed stadium in Ybor City were revealed. The purpose of the presser was simple, to gin up enthusiasm for the project within the community and outside the urban core.

As with anything, many positives were expressed — and unintentional negatives were intimated — during the 45-minute meeting. In the spirit of conveying coherent ideas, as opposed to writing one long convoluted article, I decided to break the subject into two separate categories — thus necessitating two different articles — one on the positives, and one on the negatives. This piece happens to be about the unfavorable aspects from the press conference, which took place at the Italian Club in Ybor City, blocks from the the proposed 14-acre site.

As expected, the renderings painted a picture of an innovative, and breathtaking (by the accounts of many) facility which played well to those in attendance, as well as those streaming the press conference online.

Days ago Noah Pransky (WTSP 10 Investigates, Shadow of the Stadium blog) made a prediction of how the presser would play out, and dare I say it largely followed the script?

  1. Rays have thought of everything and they think their renderings are awesome.
  2. Pics took politicians’ breath away – they love them.
  3. But a lot of work lies ahead – they need businesses and the community to step up with money if this is going to happen.

A few crucial aspects of the team’s pitch were intentionally left off the agenda though, most notably a discussion about how to fund the project.

Stadium costs

The initial price tag for the proposed facility will be upward of $892-million, far exceeding Principal Owner Stu Sternberg’s initial “highball” estimate of $800-million. The costs break down into $809-million for the stadium itself and another $83-million for what the team calls “necessary infrastructure” improvements, including public realm and safety improvements, as well as mobility and resiliency improvements. The glass-domed roof will account for 30% of the total cost, roughly $245-million. Not included in cost estimates, however, are those associated with the relocation of the TECO substation, site acquisition, and the money owed to the City of St. Petersburg for the remaining balance on the stadium per the usage agreement, not to mention the cost of demolishing Tropicana Field.

The additional costs, assuming the Rays don’t pay for them on their own, bring the total price tag closer to $915-million for a stadium the team suggested it would contribute more than $150-million toward, but less than $300-million. Let’s instead say Sternberg commits anywhere from $250-million to $299-million — which clearly is a big “if” at the moment — that leaves Hillsborough on the hook for at least $616-million.

Flippant as he may be, Sternberg must be aware that $600-$700 million in public subsidies is a non-starter. And since the team hasn’t settled on a firm contribution yet, they clearly are playing negotiating shenanigans.

Stadium costs aside, Rays President Brian Auld conceded that the team has no answers on how to pay for the stadium, although he was quoted as saying, that it’s a “very compelling investment opportunity” for everyone in the room and is open to creative funding.

Rays executives had anywhere from five months (when they announced their preferred stadium site) and a decade to come up with funding ideas for a stadium, yet they waited until there are 5-1/2 months left in the MOU window to hammer out a deal. In plain English, the Rays have a park they want to build, but they don’t know how they will get it done.

It’s a stunning, albeit funny, admission that befuddled many.

Always the intrepid journalist, Pransky pointedly asked Sternberg how he plans to build the stadium he’s been dreamt of, and talked about, for years:

Pransky: $892-million. Can you afford it?
Sternberg: (Glibly) Well, potentially.
Pransky: What do you need from the public sector?
Sternberg: I haven’t even looked at it at this point really.
Pransky: You guys haven’t looked at it all?!?
Sternberg: Not to the point that’s necessary. We’ve been focused on what you saw today, which is in itself a huge, huge undertaking.

Pransky also questioned if there was a scaled-down ballpark model from the “Cadillac” version he rolled out, to which he said the showcased rendering actually is the “Buick.” In all fairness, they could scale-down bells, whistles, and costs later if necessary.

Then there was the query about what happens in five-to-six months if a deal doesn’t get hammered out? Sternberg, again, was glib, saying he hadn’t thought that far ahead.

It frankly was a disingenuous attempt to sell perception as reality. The team has thought long and hard about getting a stadium built which will be largely dependent upon public subsidization. Just slap together a few renderings and hope the general public will see the price tag as nothing more than a minor obstacle to overcome.

Neil deMause (Field of Schemes) put it another way:

So we are supposed to believe that the owner of a pro sports team, who for years has been demanding a new stadium as a way of improving his bottom line, went into designing and pricing out a new stadium with no thoughts at all of how it would be paid for or whether it would make money. Or the other possibility is that he thought, Hey, asking for hundreds of millions of dollars is a bad look — let’s just give the public lots of pretty pictures and hope they’ll be distracted enough not to worry about where the money will come from. I bet it’ll work on those stenographers at the Tampa Bay Times, anyway!

Since Tampa has been staked to tight budgets extending back to the recession of 2007/08, Mayor Bob Buckhorn didn’t sound too convinced the city could afford the price tag.

Buckhorn, however, allowed that a stadium is a want, not a need — one that is not worth leveraging the city’s future on.

It’s a lot of money. We’ve always known it was going to be a lot. I’m doing my best to try to get there, but I’m also willing to walk away if it doesn’t make sense…we don’t want to enter into a bad deal that’s going to burden my kids’ generation.

Moreover, Hillsborough County has limited funds available as it pays down debt on Raymond James Stadium, Steinbrenner Field and Amalie Arena over the next few decades.

Suffice it to say, coming up with a financial package over the waning 5-1/2 months will be a monumental task. When you add in the mounting resistance from people of all stripes, progressive and conservative, paired with Mayor Kriseman’s acknowledgement that he isn’t too keen on extending the MOU window, that monumental task becomes far larger.

St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman released a statement Tuesday after the press conference. Pay specific attention to the verbiage at the end of the statement.

Today represents another step in the process for the Tampa Bay Rays as stadium renderings are necessary in order to generate enthusiasm in a community. This is also another step in the process for the City of St. Petersburg. We are continuing to plan for a future both with and without a stadium on the Tropicana Field site. I encourage all fans of the Tampa Bay Rays to enjoy the exciting product on the field as the Rays organization and stakeholders in Tampa and Hillsborough County work toward a resolution.

To whit, Kriseman likely is aware that professional sports franchises contribute just a fraction of a percent to the local economy. In turn, St. Petersburg will continue to move forward with or without the team. If you didn’t catch it though, the last four words — work toward a resolution — suggests that the Rays and stakeholders in Tampa and Hillsborough County are at odds with one another … that they are far from coming together with a resolution that pleases everyone involved. That’s not how mutually beneficial teams are made.

In conclusion

To quote the theme song from the hit 80’s comedy The Facts of Life,

You take the good
You take the bad
You take them both and there you have
The facts of life
The facts of life

When the world never seems
To be living up to your dreams
Then suddenly you’re finding out
The facts of life are all about you

There are many great aspects to this ambitious project. Then again, the same can be of the unfavorable attributes. The facts of life, as it were. Finding a location and coming up with a design have proven to be easy and exciting, yet finding the money and the public will to build a stadium are proving to be an uphill battle. I, like many other fans, want my beloved team to play in a new stadium. Yet that facility must be in a more feasible location, less contentious location (more on that tomorrow) and should not depend the generation of new public subsidies.

One final quote,

…And so it goes.
— Kurt Vonnegut

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Rays reveal details and renderings of proposed stadium, part two — the favorable aspects

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(Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Rays hosted a press conference in which artistic renderings of a proposed stadium in Ybor City were revealed. The purpose of the presser was simple, to gin up enthusiasm for the project within the community and outside the urban core.

As with anything, many positives were expressed — while unintentional negatives were intimated — during the 45-minute meeting. In the spirit of conveying coherent ideas, as opposed to writing one long convoluted article, I decided to break the subject into two separate categories — thus necessitating two different articles — one on the positives, and one on the negatives. This piece happens to be about the more favorable aspects from the press conference, which took place at the Italian Club in Ybor City, blocks from the the proposed 14-acre site.

Principal owner Stuart Sternberg, team presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman, chief development officer Melanie Lenz, and members of the architecture firm Populus — which is credited with designing more than 2/3 of Major League stadiums in some capacity — were on hand to reveal the plans, which feature a translucent glass roof, a glass outfield wall that slides open and is oriented toward Ybor City, completely synthetic turf, and a total capacity of 30,842; 11,893 fewer than the overall capacity of the Trop.

(Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

A small upper level, as opposed to a complete upper deck, makes for the closest vantage point of any modern stadium, with a nose-to-field distance of 204 feet.

Speaking of seats, there would be a total of 28,216 fixed seats in the stadium — 14,348 at field level, 5,230 on the loge level and 5,138 in the terrace — and room to accommodate 2,626 in the standing room sections. While the capacity would make for the smallest ballpark in Major League Baseball, it reflects the intermittent enthusiasm associated with a long 81-game game season.

There will be 21 distinct viewing platforms and social gathering areas — complete with beverage and food rails — which are connected by a 360-degree concourse that is similar to the one at the Rays Spring Training facility in Port Charlotte, as well as the one at Tropicana Field.

Fountain seating, quaint bullpen bars that bring players close to fans, a brewpub and the Rays Tank are also included in plans. City planners even envision the occasional shutdown of Fourth Avenue, on game days, similar to Yawkey Way outside of Fenway Park in Boston, or Wrigleyville in Chicago.

(Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

What is currently being billed the Tampa Bay Rays Ballpark will include meeting spaces and open concourses that would be open to the community, including the ability to accommodate larger corporate gatherings. The team anticipates a design that allows the stadium to serve as a year-round community asset, with the potential for “programming, events and creative partnerships,” per the official stadium pitch.

(Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

That allows the ballpark to be used as a domed public park of sorts where kids can play on on off-days, following games, or during the offseason. There also is talk of allowing the kitchen spaces to partner with a culinary institute, or the outfield to be used for community yoga, making the stadium a community asset.

Consultants say transit options in Ybor City include a trolley, Amtrak and eventually high-speed rail.

While the stadium plan includes all the bells and whistles that make it one of the most innovative ballparks conceived in some time, many questions linger in the wake of its revealing; for example, how exactly will it be funded? I will discuss the disadvantageous aspects of the press conference tomorrow.

To be continued, as it were…

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LBWMF: Rays rally in extras to defeat Le Tigre, 10-9; David Cross on Tampa’s lights

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Thanks to Daniel Robertson’s extra inning walkoff hit, the Rays start the day two-games over .500, matching a season high. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

The Tampa Bay Rays scored five first inning runs, and held leads of 5-0, 7-3 and 9-7. Yet after losing a two-run lead late in the ball game, the Rays scratched across a 10th inning run, allowing them to walk it off against the Detroit Tigers, 10-9. Tampa Bay starts the day two games over .500 — equaling the team’s high-water mark — having gone 12-1 in its last 13 home games.

Chris Archer got the start for Tampa Bay, his first since June 5, and instantly found himself in trouble in a long, 25-pitch first inning. Archer allowed the first two batters to reach via a leadoff walk and a single, although he worked around the jam by coaxing a ground ball out, sandwiched between a pair of swinging strikeouts.

Meanwhile, all nine Rays batters came to the plate in a five run first against Francisco Liriano. Matt Duffy started the rally with a one out single off the glove of sliding centerfielder, Victor Reyes. Daniel Robertson and Wilson Ramos followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases before CJ Cron — who is slashing .500 BA/.545 OBP/.900 SLG/1.445 OPS with a .400 ISO in the month of July — lashed an RBI single to left. Jake Bauers drove in the second run on a 3-6 fielder’s choice with Robertson crossing the plate. The inning probably should have ended on the next play, but a little bit of Tropicana Field’s serendipitous magic allowed Adeiny Hechavarria’s pop fly to right to get lost in the lights as it fell in front of Castellanos, allowing two runs to come across on what was scored a double. Carlos Gomez followed with a run-scoring hit to left, capping the five-run rally.

Archer worked around more traffic on the base paths in the second inning, but gave up three runs in the third when Victor Reyes and Ronny Rodriguez singled, and Nick Castellanos walked, loading the bases. Niko Goodrum doubled to right, driving in a pair before Archer retired the next three batters (although Jim Adduci was able to push across another run on a ground out) to end the frame.

Archer did receive a little help from INF/OF Daniel Robertson, who laid it all out to end the frame with a diving grab.

Be that as it may, the Rays got two of those runs back against Liriano. Ramos led things off with an opposite field homer, on a fastball that caught too much plate.

Rod Gardenhire had seen enough of Liriano, and pulled him from the game after Cron doubled to left and Hechavarria walked. With two on and one out, reliever Drew Ver Hagen appeared to get an inning-ending double play off the bat of Gomez, but the ball took an awkward hop off the second base bag for a run-scoring double, pushing the lead to four.

Archer, who was on a pitch count, again took the mound in the fourth, although he was lifted with one out and two on after throwing 78 pitches. He gave up six hits and two walks, while fanning three. Hunter Wood came on in relief and settled things down for a bit, tossing 2-2/3 innings of scoreless baseball.

Seesaws are going to seesaw, and the lead got away in the seventh inning with right-hander Jamie Schultz on the mound.

Schultz allowed a free pass to Rodriguez, hit Castellanos, and allowed a run-scoring double to Niko Goodrum, all in the span of 16 pitches. With the lead in jeopardy, Adam Kolarek entered the fray and threw one pitch to Victor Martinez, who lined a ball to right-field which Gomez caught for the first out. Gomez threw a bullet to the home plate that would have gotten Castellanos for the second out … had Ramos held onto the ball. Diego Castillo entered the game and got pinch-hitter John Hicks to pop out to first, however, the right-hander walked former Ray Mikie Mahtook and hit James McCann to load the bases. Jose Iglesias proceeded to line a game tying, 1-0 double to left.

Tampa Bay reclaimed the lead back in the bottom of the seventh against Louis Coleman, because seesaws are going to seesaw. Cron led off the inning with a double to right, his third hit of the night, before Jake Bauers singled Johnny Field, who pinch-ran for Cron, to third. After Hechavarria lined out to second, Gomez laid down a perfectly placed bunt single toward third, allowing Field to score. Pinch-hitter Joey “he can hit” Wendle connected for a double to right, with Bauers crossing the plate to put the Rays up by two, but Gomez was thrown out at third, ending the rally.

And in true seesaw fashion, Detroit scored two runs in the eighth inning, again tying the game. Ryne Stanek started the frame by coaxing a popper to right from Rodriguez for the first out, but followed by allowing a double to Castellanos. Jose Alvarado entered the game and got Goodrum to ground out on the first pitch of the at-bat, but V-Mart hit an RBI single to draw Detroit within one.

Closer Sergio Romo was summoned from the bullpen to get the final out of the eighth, but quickly gave up a first pitch single to John Hicks, allowing Martinez to move into second. It then looked like Mahtook on a would be ground out softly wide of first, but Bauers fielded the play and responded by throwing the ball well over the head of Romo, who was covering the bag, and into the Rays dugout. The error allowed pinch-runner Jacoby Jones to score the game tying run. Romo finished the eighth and pitched the ninth as well, retiring the final four batters he faced.

After Matt Andriese threw a scoreless top of the tenth, Tampa Bay rallied against Blaine Hardy, who threw a zero up in the ninth.

Wendle led off the frame innocuously enough with a ground out to short, yet Kevin Kiermaier tripled to left-center with one, putting the winning run just 90 feet from home plate. Duffy, the next batter, quickly fell behind 0-2, although he inevitably worked a nine-pitch at-bat before he drew a walk. Robertson proved to be the final batter of the game, and after he squared around to bunt on the first pitch of the at-bat, he lined a ball through the middle, giving the Rays a walk off victory.

Robertson ended the night with three hits, as did Gomez and Cron, and the Rays collected 18 in total.

The New What Next

The Rays play game two of the series on Tuesday with Matt Boyd (4-7, 4.58 ERA) starting for Detroit, pitching opposite of the bullpen for Tampa Bay. Ryan Yarbrough (7-4, 3.75 ERA) is expected to throw the bulk of the innings since Andriese pitched Monday night.

Ryan Yarbrough allowed two runs on four hits and one walk over three innings of a no-decision against Miami on Tuesday. He struck out three. Yarbrough ran into a bit of trouble in the second inning, loading the bases on an IBB before the opposing pitcher, Trevor Richards, laced a two-run single to center. Even though he limited the damage and breezed through the third inning with ease, Yarbrough didn’t come back out for the fourth despite tossing 6-1/3 innings and 90 pitches in his previous outing. He has allowed four runs total in his last 15-1/3 innings of work.

Matthew Boyd allowed seven runs (six earned) on seven hits over four innings in his last start against the Rangers. He struck out three. Boyd didn’t allow a run in the first inning, yet allowed multiple runs thereafter before receiving the early hook in the fourth. The key blows were a pair of two-run homers by Joey Gallo and Ronald Guzman. Boyd has been hit or miss since limiting the Rays to one run on May 1, allowing five or more earned runs three times over his past four starts — pushing his ERA up from 3.23 before his rough stretch to 4.58. He is 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA in two career starts against Tampa Bay. Key Matchups: CJ Cron (1-3), Johnny Field (1-2), Adeiny Hechavarria (1-3), Kevin Kiermaier (1-1), Wilson Ramos (1-2, BB), Mallex Smith (1-3)

You can read about the series in our preview.

The New What Next: Rays vs Tigers part two — a series preview

Rays 7/10/18 Starting Lineup

Kiermaier CF
Duffy 3B
Robertson LF
Ramos C
Cron DH
Bauers 1B
Hechavarria SS
Gomez RF
Adames 2B
Stanek RHP

Noteworthiness

— Tampa Bay Rays:

David Cross:

Golly, look at all them buildings lit up! I didn’t think it could be physically possible to do that! Look at that one! …Gasp… Look at that one! Gosh glorifying us with his magnificent fluorescence!

— Your requisite reminder: The Rays are now 29-1 when they score at least five runs.

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